Aquaman director James Wan revealed significant details about Willem Dafoe’s Nuidis Vulko and what we as fans can expect from the character.
Dafoe’s Vulko was originally supposed to be seen in last year’s Justice League. However, the character was cut from the film.
Director James Wan has opened up with Total Film about Vulko’s role and how his role as as an Advisor to King Orm as well as a mentor to Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry will impact the story.
“He’s an advisor to King Orm, and he’s also a mentor to Aquaman. You could look at a monitor that was filming in a greenscreen room, with all these elements covered with green fabric and all these reference points, and then you could go to the monitor and see the completed set, but in a rendering that was laid over the live scene. So that was sometimes very helpful. So when you’re on this big object that’s moving around on the gimbal that’s supposed to be a shark – you could actually go to the monitor and see the size of the shark you’re on.”
Not only did Wan detail this image, but an image of Vulko riding on an armored shark was leaked.
The effects seen in this film looks spectacular:
Our first look at Vulko in action! #Aquaman pic.twitter.com/amYGVVx589
— The Aquaman Shrine (@AquamanShrine) October 19, 2018
As you can see the effects make the water look quite seamless.
In the Comics
Vulko is one of the most influential political figures in Atlantis. He’s been involved in most political changes in the underwater kingdom since he first appeared. In fact, he’s even made himself king before.
In the most recent iteration of the comics, Vulko befriends Arthur Curry and becomes one of his most trusted advisors. However, that relationship wouldn’t last for long as Aquaman discovers that Vulko orchestrated an Atlantean war against the surface world and the flooding of Metropolis. After defeating his brother Ocean Master Orm, Aquaman throws Vulko in prison where he is to await trial. Aquaman and Vulko would continue to have an on again and off again relationship as Vulko would later aid Aquaman in reclaiming Atlantis from the Dead King.
Comics to Movie
It’s highly likely that Vulko will take on this role as a political agent and deceiver in the upcoming Aquaman film. We know that Aquaman and Mera are in search of an ancient trident that allows one to claim they are the proper King of Atlantis. This theme is scene in the Dead King arc where Aquaman uses a relic scepter against the Dead King in order to prove he is the rightful ruler. It’s highly likely that Vulko puts Aquaman and Mera on this mission to find the trident in order to start a civil war in Atlantis and pit the two brothers against each other.
What better way for Vulko to try to come to power than have his two biggest foes fight against each other?
Aquaman is directed by James Wan. The movie stars Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abul-MateenII and Nicole Kidman. The film hits theaters on December 21, 2018.